The Steel Wasteland
by The Steel Wasteland
Summary: Delta, a brotherhood of Steel 'Lonewolf' finds himself on escort duty but soon finds that he can actually trust people in the wastes, and so sticks with the second Vault Dweller. I am an amateur writer so any feedback is appreciated.
1. Chapter 1The Steel Wasteland

Chapter 1 "The Steel Wasteland"

"Just another day in the dark fucking metro tunnels." "How do I always find myself down here, oh yea the streets are all blocked, thats' how" Delta thought as his headlight bounced around the darkened metro tunnel scanning for hostiles. "Who's there" he said responding to the sound of a metallic door being opened " friendly?"he called out. "Come with your hands up and I wont shoot, come on i heard you open that door. Don't make me search for you." "Alright I'm coming out unarmed please just don't shoot!" a female voice called back, responding to him. "Jesus, why are you down here in the tunnels unarmed, you got a death wish or somethin'!" he asked "And what's your name?" The girl in question responded "Abby, you?" "Delta, now you want to answer my first que-" he was cut of by an earpiercing, feral, screeching followed by two ghouls"MOVE NOW!" He yelled as he let a hail of five millimeter mini-gun rounds out on the ghouls. And the fight ended before it started. "As I was saying, you want to answer the first question?" "I didn't know that I would need weapons." Delta stood awestruck "ok kid I understand your young but your not much younger than me, have you been living in a fuckin' Vault all your life?" She looked at him, confused "Y-yea, didn't everyone?" "that explains it" he said under his breath "Sorry kid but I've been in the wasteland all twenty-two years of my life, (sighs) tell you what if you need an escort where ever your going kid, I can help? So where to?" "I was heading to Galaxy News Radio, the radio station, to look for my friend Drew." "Well I'll be damned you actually chose the right metro tunnels, good job Vault Dweller," "it's Abby" "Vault dweller, anyways stay close and don't separate if you get lost either the ghouls'll getcha or raiders either way you'd be fucked"

"Alright, were close and im hearing lots of gunfire when we get up there stay down."Delta said and received a nod. "Let's go" as he swithed his headlight off and opened the steel-grated doors to a set of what used to be escalators, and when they got top-side they both saw BoS Palidans getting pinned by super mutants "Stay here until you don't hear anything and I signal you to come over, got it" " got it" she responded. "ALRIGHT YOU BIG UGLY MUTHERFUCKERS EAT LED! HAHAHAHA!, Damn, they're already dead! Alright vault dweller come on over let me do the talking. Ma'am this 'local' needs to talk to Three-Dog can we pass?" "Well if you can help us clear out the Mutants between here and the station than I suppose so" the superior officer said "Alright kid stay behind me I'm 'mostly' bullet-proof, come on lets get you to Three-Dog." They rounded two corners and three mutants came out of what looked like an old school with another perched up in a second-story window "Contacts, four hostiles, FIRING!" he said as he shot at an unexploded car Killing two mutants in the explosion and injuring the third severely. After dodging a few pieces of the larger shrapnel Delta proceeded on firing at the fourth and final mutant but not doing much he put his minigun away and pulled out his more accurate scoped .44 magnum and took two shots at the fourth mutant. The first going high and bouncing off a metal beam, the second shot going straight through the mutants head killing him instantly, and then a third shot killing the supermutant bleeding out on a pile of rubble. "Come on kid were not there yet!, Follow me" Delta yelled back to the Vault dweller staring at a body blown to bits by the explosion, " VAULT DWELLER! Come on." He moved up a set of stairs to the right as they walked in to try to get the drop on the remaining mutants but encountered resistance. "Vault dweller, get down!" Delta said as he took a shot that pierced through a weak spot on his armor, blood now pouring from his leg and another dead mutant laying in his wake, turning the corner he takes two shot that bounce off his armor then his helmet and twenty more rounds lodged in a now dead mutants chest. "Come on we need to clear the courtyard!" He moved down another set of stairs running and limping while being followed by the unharmed vault dweller. "Stop, your bleeding. I can help you!"Abby yelled trying to stop him. "NOT NOW" he yelled back taking a barrage of assault rifle fire, stopping Abby in her tracks seeing him actually take cover "stay here" he told her in a pained voice, indicating he'd been hit again. Delta turned the corner unleashing the full potential of his belt fed minigun all across the courtyard killing mutant after mutant brutally. And after a hundred or so rounds the battle was over and Delta was now on one knee "Initiate Reddin, Help him to the front of the station then report back to your supervisor" a female voice called out from behind the Vault Dweller, and received a "yes ma'am" from the initiate. Abby ran after Reddin to help walk Delta to the front of the studio.

"Ahh! Shit this hurts." Was the only thing Delta got out of his mouth before multiple buses at the west side of the plaza exploded. Everyone then was shouting "BEHEMOTH" and opening fire. Delta then took his minigun pack off and set it infront of the door and stood up, pained he spotted a deceased Paladin with a fatman launcher, a device weilded by soldiers to destroy heavily armored targets before the war, he then started cautiously limping towards it before getting knocked clean across the entire plaza through a concrete wall "fuck this shit" he moaned through gritted teeth. He then pulled the pin on a frag grenade and through the frag behind the mutant and began yelling "GO GET THE LAUNCHER KID!" The behemoth turned to the sound of his metallic voice and started barrelling towards him until the satisfying explosion and 'DING' from the fatman launcher. "There ya' go kid your first kill is also your biggest one, ahh shit, now come get me."

"Are you going to be alright?" Abby asked the large scarred and now bandaged man "Yea, the Doc gave me some morphine and a bottle of whiskey, so I don't feel it. Now go talk to Three-Dog, he'll be upstairs. Hey doc go get the armorer for me please." "Yes sir!" The young medic responded doing an about-face and walking out, as one of the nurses walked in. "Well, well, I guess what ever god is watching me really likes me" he whispered, hoping the nurse wouldn't hear him, she did and smiled at him in response. "Alright now lets check your vitals big guy, bpm's are normal, you staring at my ass is normal" she said catching Delta off-guard forcing him to look away and wait for the armorer to get in the room, but not before taking another quick look. "Delta old friend" a deep, Russian accented voice said. "Yuri, what are you doing here, I thought you went to point lookout?" "Your correct my friend I did but orders changed and now I'm the armorer here. So what did you need?"He replied to his exhausted friend. "I need repairs and ammo for my minigun and wanted to know if you could increase the amount of armor on my gear?"Delta answered wryly "Of course I can my friend, and since this is twice you've saved my life I'll do it for a low cost. I'll have it ready by the time you're out of here!" "Thanks man." Delta said as he passed out from exhaustion.


	2. Chapter 2Virgo II Lunar Lander Dish

Chapter 2 "The Virgo II Lunar Lander Dish"

"Where did he tell you that you needed to go?"Delta asked the ecstatic Vault girl. "To the museum of Technology." She responded "To do what, exactly?" "Why do you need to know." She responded a little to snottily. "Because that's the most dangerous part of D.C. and you wont be able to get 10 steps without the right stuff, so I'll ask again, why?" Delta pried, "to get a dish off the Virgo II Lunar Lander, now what would i need?" Abby snapped back. "Calm down first, You'd need guns and either expert sneaking or alot of armor." "That's why i have you mister 'bulletproof'"she said hopefully "No," "Ohh come on you have more experience than i do and your the only person out here that i know. Pleeeaase." She said while trying to be adorable, and the victim still kept his poker face, thinking."Hmmmm, alright we'll travel together..." "YES!" "BUT, you'll still have to get a gun and some armor, alright we can buy you a gun but i need to know what type armor you want." "Can't I keep my vault clothes?" "N- actually they wont be yours but i do remember a vendor in Megaton with a Armored Vault Jumpsuit on her wall I want to say her name was...Moira. But I wont be able to get out of here for another week." Delta sadly said, "That's alright i can wait." The Vault Girl said cheerily.

ONE WEEK LATER

"So Delta, how did you get your name?" The Vault Dweller asked the tall steel man walking next to her, "I gave it to myself after an 'incident' at the firing range when a recruit threw a frag and it bounced back at him so I jumped to get him out of the way when it went off blowing me into a wall giving me lacerations and a major concussion, said concussion caused me to forget my real name and we had already been going by things like Alpha, Bravo, Charlie based on our first letter of our name so I stuck to Delta ever since." he explained, "Oh, I'm sorry i didn't know." She said sympathetically, "nah, don't be. Were almost there, I can see the top of the town." He said, "Delta is that how you got that huge scar going down through your left eye?" she hit a button right there, "I don't like to talk about that very much, sorry." He said looking to the West away from Abby. "I'm sorry, again" "it's fine you didn't know" he said as the inner doors opened and closed behind them. "Hey Simms, were just trying to get to Mo-"he tried to say as the Sheriff interrupted him abruptly, "My, My, a new comer my name is Luca-" "Yea, Yea, your Lucas Simms Town sheriff, now back off were going to Moira's shop"Delta said abruptly 'returning the favor'.

Hey Moira this is Abby she just recently got out of vault 101 and was hoping you could give her that armored vault suit." He asked hopefully, "Why of course, but first tell me what it was like to come outside or live in a vault, or whatever suits you." She happily replied, " Well in the vault I didn't have to worry about getting shot but I like it alot more out here, less cramped ya' know."She replied looking at the armor. "Oh that's great, and here, have the vault armor now i'm also assuming you need weapons, just got a new shipment. and for you Delta i have two more boxes of large amounts of five mills, interested?" "Yea, sure, I'll buy them as well as her weapon and ammo, so what do you want?" He asked, "Umm, start me off with a rifle and a pistol, thanks" she replied. "Okay here's One hundred and fifty caps that'll cover it right?"He asked hopefully. "Yep, that's it and for her first guns one hundred and twenty, ten mills all already loaded into magazines, and eighty-five .32 caliber rounds as well as a holster, and a rifle sling already attached, all of which she can have for free!" She said a little too happily. "Wow thanks Moira!" She responded as well a little too happily. "Alright, go get that armor on and later we'll see how well you can shoot." Delta said, "until then I'll be at the brass lantern, down in the crater."

"Two squirrel stews, purified water, and some whiskey please." Delta asked Jenny, the bartender at the brass lantern. "Coming right up." She replied as she open the fridge pulling out what he ordered. "Hey! There's the Armored Vault Dweller!" And the only response he got was a 'Shut up' he continued "I got some lunch," "what is it?" she asked. "For you Squirrel stew and a purified water." "What about you?" She asked. "Same, except with a whiskey," he replied happily then continued "So what do you think about your new guns and armor?" "I'm scared to eat this, hmm? Oh yea there pretty cool, I can't wait to shoot them." She replied while looking at her meal. "Hey kid this is all you'll find out here in the wastes, no it's not that vault food that you're used to but it's actually good, try it." He said while waiting for her to take her first bite. "Mmm, Holy crap this is good... but it's irradiated." She replied Surprised. "I told you, and, don't worry you're not going to die from it. It's not that irradiated." "Okay, but i have to ask how do you make this?" She turned toward the bartender. "I don't know I didn't make it one of the caravans did or something." "Oh. Anyways what are we going to shoot at?" She asked, turning back to Delta. "The town's got a small molerat problem outback so we're going to deal with it, er, sorry you're going to deal with it while I watch to make sure you're not eaten." He said jokingly. "Well alright, nothing better than moving targets to practice on, but I know how to shoot so i don't need a lesson." She replied. "Good, less work for me. Whenever your ready we'll head out."

"Alright see those ugly pink things walking around? Shoot 'em." Delta told the newly 'armed and dangerous'. "Nice! One shot two uglies, now get the rest." She looked down her sights and took three shots each hitting a different mole rat. "Shit! Remind me not to piss you off, good shooting, now it's my turn." He said as he looked under the scope of his .44 at the iron sights and took three more shots each hitting and obliterating another targets head. Then continued while reloading, "You're a pretty good shot kid but that's on molerats that don't know where you are, in a real situation as your getting charged by mutants you might choke when pulling the trigger, you need to make sure you never choke because one second can be the difference between life and death. Got it?" "Yea I got it now am I ready to go to the museum of technology?" She asked hopefully. "Almost," he said while putting an old pair of tinted ballistic glasses, "there now your ready, lets go" He said while jerking his head towards the east.

"Alright dupont station will lead us into the mall, now be careful because there may be ghouls and/or raiders so keep your guard up, in my language that means get your gun out." He said after waiting a second for her to understand. "OH! My bad." She apologized. Then the steel-grated doors swung open and Delta was scanning, waiting for his headlight to turn on, and then the metro tunnel lit up because of the intense light and he moved forward always scanning as he walked through the metro. With Abby constantly paying attention to her HUD's target indicator, "Wait I got somethi-" she attempted to say until a barrage of minigun fire tore open a ghoul. "Never mind." she corrected. "How did you see him?" Delta asked while continuing through the metro. "My Pip-Boy has a target finder and can also tell if they have hostile intentions." "Hmph" Delta grunted in response. "Damn technology, oh well let's keep moving." He continued while walking ahead, suddenly getting tackled to the ground by an unseeable foe. Punching hard enough to break bones he shattered the visor of the now visible enemy, acquiring full dominance in the situation by rolling on top of his opponent, raising a threatening fist before realizing that he knew this opponent as an old 'close' friend. "Ashley?!" He starred in shock. "Delta! Oh my god!" The mystery woman than reached her arms as far around the big steel man as possible and received a literally uplifting embrace all the way until she was three feet off the ground. Legs dangling she kindly asked "Delta, can I have my feet on the ground please?" Laughing, he did as she asked. "Vault Dweller, this is my very close friend whom I haven't seen for three and a half months." Delta explained and received a "are you sure about that big guy?" She asked flirtatiously. "Ok fine, you win. We're way closer than that" he replied. "Dammit, close enough. Delta you're going to fix my visor right?" She asked "I'll do better than that i'll get you a new pair of armor, until then head to megaton and ill get back in a day or so, okay?" "Alright, no doing anything with the new girl, Got it?" She said while walking away with a lustful sway to her hips directed at Delta. "Yes ma'am, I wouldn't trade yours for hers, no offense vault dweller." "And Delta, start calling her by her name, k?" "Alright." He responded

"Alright stay focus this is the exit station up ahead.. Oh shit, supermutant! Get down, Can you handle him?" Delta asked and the response he got was a rifle shot and a mutants head exploding, "Nice shot but we got alot of company, i'll handle this." he said as he stood up and began firing on a dozen feral ghouls before getting knocked over from behind and snapping his attackers neck knowing exactly what it is before he even saw it, hearing three shots from next to him, he looked up and pushed a ghoul away before it fell on him, "thank's ki- uh 'Abby' but we need to keep moving we're almost there."

They had barely got up the stairs when a Feral ghoul Roamer tackles Delta over the metro railing about twelve to fifteen feet from the ground knocking the wind out of Delta, and crunching it out of the reaver almost. "Holy shit! Are you okay!" Abby worriedly asked. "Yea.. I'll be..fine." He answered between coughs. He then stood up and began walking back to the dormant escalators. "Delta stop. Take a breather you've been knocked off your feet three times...Delta?" She said cautiously as Delta raises his .44 and fires pass her head, as she looks back she sees a dead reaver leaning towards her with a bullet hole in its head. Holding back a gag she shakily pushed the ghoul's lifeless corpse backwards.

As they neared the exit Delta explained "When we get topside you move when I move, stop when I stop and always stay low and in cover. If we come under fire do not attempt to shoot back unless i have their full attention, Got it?" "Yes" she replied understandingly, still trying to forget the ghouls smell. Delta opened the steel doors and immediately was crouched down with his only melee weapon in which he bought from Yuri back at GNR, a machete that he cleverly hid in between his armor and his leg. The two then moved closer to the left side behind a concrete plant pot while he scanned ahead of them. He spotted two muties walking in the other direction, he then moved up to a corner, making sure to stay as low as possible. "Alright, the museum is just up ahead, we just need to get there... Hang on" he pulled out a homemade nuka-granade, pulled the pin and threw it into what used to be a park but was now reduced to a line of trenches "when they run to check it out we run to the door got it? Too late GO!" They made a beeline for the door but as Delta charged through it he was gunned down and crawled into cover behind a large pillar. Suddenly a deafening blast of static is blasted through his helmet "AHHHHH! SHIIIT!" He threw his helmet off, still not helping the static but it did lessen its deafening tones, and as Abby was running to him, she saw that he was bleeding from his ears, nose, and even a little from his eyes. She turned her attention to the mutants, not being in range of the frequency while her steel guardian was slowly and painfully dying, she took five shots, managing to kill all three 'welcoming' mutants. Looking around she saw what looked like a broken radio on a wall, took out her ten millimeter and took one shot, stopping the frequency.

Delta was breathing heavily trying to say something, but couldn't so he pointed around the corner. Up on the second floor was a mutant behind bulletproof glass, it saw her then turned around and started running "Take th..this, press the...button and... place it infr...ont of the stairs" Delta said between breaths getting a nod as Abby ran towards the stairs, placing the explosive, and then back to him behind the pillar. "What is that?" She asked curiously "mine" he said as it exploded "an explosive... Give me a second, I'll be fine." He said wiping the blood from his face and ears with the back side of his metallic glove, putting his arms on the ground trying to force himself up with the help of now the only other person-type-thing in the room, he was successful, putting his helmet back on he started for the stairs, trying not to make his pain obvious he looked back and asked "You comin'?" Again receiving a nod he continued up the stairs towards the door the mutant barged through to TRY to get to them, "Hey look, a stealth boy! Hey kid come here. Put it on and try it out." "Ho- WHOA! I'M INVISIBLE!" She responded very surprised. " Yea you are, but now you have to find the button to turn it off," he said as she figured it out "dammit! Your a bit too smart kid." He said jokingly and continued through the old museum. "So where would this dish be?" She asked as they came upon a vault tour area "Triple-S technology is Vault-Tec's convergence of the three most important parts of apocalyptic endurance, Safety, Survivability, and Sanitation." A prerecorded voice said over a speaker system. "Probably in the space portion, other than that I don't know. We'll find it." Delta said still recovering from earlier. They kept walking when the same pre-recorded voice announced "Being underground got ya' down? Smile! Our stimu-sun lighting mimics the feeling of being outside! With only a fraction of the sun burn potential!" "Goddammit i'm going to shoot that thing if it talks again. What?" Delta said annoyed. "It's not talking it's a pre-recorded message being played." Abby replied trying to stifle a laugh. "Still I'll shoot it if it does it again." He said feeling a little dumb. As they walked down the stairs into a narrow hallway they saw blood-splatters and hand prints on the walls. "Jesus, Did they think it was an actual vault." She asked, "No, these are recent. Come on we need to keep moving if we don't want to be bloody hand prints, alright?" As they both neared the exit the speaker came on again, saying "Concerns about secur-" it then bursted into flames around the newly installed, steel fist. "Shut up asshole." Delta spat, "Let's keep moving, Delta." Abby commanded as Delta walked forward having to duck a little to get through the not fully opened door. They exited, after destroying two more speakers, into another less blood-filled hallway opening up into the entryway. "This way." Delta said while turning through a set of double doors opening into a room with a large amount of rubble blocking the path to there target "Wait Delta, boost me up to the gap I can fit through and grab the dish." So Delta did as asked seeing this to be the safest way he did't argue until a shot rang out peirecing right through Abby's leg causing her to fall about five feet onto the ground. Delta took his large 'ammo' box and pulled out a medical box full of bandages and stimpacks, along with some whiskey bottles. He then quickly went to work using a piece of nearby re-bar and a strip of bandages making a tourniquet to slow the bleeding he placed a towel around the wounds making sure to cover both holes. He heard the heavy, metallic foot steps of a super mutant brute with his scrap metal armor, he quickly and tightly wrapped a self adhesive bandage around the towel where the wounds were and dragged the shocked vault dweller to safety as the brute came down the stairs. Spotting Delta the brute began to fires but was quickly tackled to the ground when Delta realized his mini gun was laying on the ground. Punch after punch Delta injured the mutant more and more, until another arrived. Taking three shots to the helmet delta pulled out his machete housing it in the normal supermutants head before returning to his other target still on the ground, all it took was two stomps from his boot, and the battle was over. Delta returned to his pack lying on the ground and slid it into place on his back, and pulling he oversized dagger out of the mutant head. He moved back to where his injured companion was laying, "Stay here, I'll go get the dish and return here." He said as he walked away. "Delta." He stopped, "be careful" he nodded and went up the stairs.

In the next room was a large rocket with multiple floors both up and down, but only had to go down. Fighting down two floors, instead of dealing with the mutants above he laid mines strategically on the stairs under a muties head and behind the closed door he entered the next room finding... no one. Then heard three explosions one after another so he hurried and grabbed the dish, strapped it to his pack, and backtracked through the new bodies noticing there was only two he pulled out his minigun and turned his back towards the stairs to keep the dish protected and slowly backed up the stairs, Spotting his missing target he began to rain led upon him while backing through the doors and eliminating all threats in that room.

He was back behind that desk trying to get Abby on her feet, but when she couldn't walk he picked her up and carried her out of the front door. Taking fire he threw her over his shoulder so she could pick them off while he ran towards the Washington monument through the BoS guards and into the elevator. While he let her down she was holding her abdomen area "Sorry," Delta cautiously said as the elevator doors reopened and he picked her up and laid her down on a bed. He began to unstrap the dish when Abby asked "You're afraid of heights aren't you?" "How did you?" "Because I can hear your breathing, it's very shaky. Which means you scared of something, and that something I assume is heights." She said understanding his fear and not making fun of it. "Yes" he said a little saddened that she found out, "Don't worry I wont tell Ashley. And I'll place the dish." "Thanks Abby, and I'll make sure you don't fall he said pulling out a small roll of of climbing rope wrapping it around himself then the same around Abby. He lifted her high enough to reach where the dish would go and as soon as she was done he helped her down and immediately backed away from the edge "It's that bad?" She said as she flipped a switch and turned on the array. "From this height, you're lucky I didn't pass out and drop you." "Wow, man that is bad." "Can we just go back to three dog and not talk about this ever again." He asked hoping that she'd say "Yes" "Thanks"

"Alright Three-Dog it's up." She said with the unhelmeted giant standing behind her. "Holy hell you are huge, were you helping her through this cause if your the guy she was talking about then I never want to piss you off, and if so thanks for helping get my baby up and running again." Three-Dog said in astonishment. "Yes he is, he did most of the work, while I sat behind a table with a bandaged bullet hole in my leg, if it weren't fo-" "no she's the one who begged me to help so she's actually the one who did most of it and she saved my ass back at the museum entrance." Delta interrupted. "Well I think the wastelanders would like to here from it's stations heroes, so what do ya' say to a duel interview" Three-Dog asked as Delta put his helmet back on and tuned into 103.8, GNR's frequency, and began listening to the music playing not hearing the question "Delta he wants to interview us." Abby said to him and got a "Alright as long as I don't have to talk if I don't want to." "Yes, alright Three-Dog when do we start?" "Right now" The radio host responded, abruptly cutting off the music causing Delta to turn his helmets radio off.

"HELLO CAPITAL WASTELAND it is I the all powerful Three-Dog BOWWOWOW and today I have a special show for you, with me I have the Vault Dweller I've told you about and her mysterious steel companion. So Vault Dweller how did you meet Steel?" "Well I met Delta while staring down his minigun barrels basically. We were in the metro and he was walking through on his 'patrol', I had opened a door behind him hoping it wouldn't be loud enough to hear. Of course it was so he turned and waited for me to reveal myself and didn't shoot me, I was actually on my way here." Abby replied "Well I'll be damned, so, Mr. Steel giant what were you thinking at this time?" "Shit, more ghouls. That was it until nothing ran at me then I was at the thoughts of 'Shit, Raiders'." Delta replied. "Alright sounds to me like the normal thoughts of the wasteland in a situation like that" "uhh Three-Dog do you mind if I add something"Abby asked "Not at all hero." So Abby continued "Drew if your still alive out there I know you'll be listening to this station, on Thursday, the eleventh meet me at dream town if you remember when you were young you'll know where that is I'll be there waiting."


	3. Chapter 3 Reunion at Dream Town

Chapter 3 "Reunion at Dream Town"

"We're here, why is this place called 'Dream town' again?" Delta asked, clearly confused to why the Bethesda ruins would be a dream. "I never understood it either, but he had never seen the town and one day in a dream he saw it. The day after, Mr. Brotch was doing a lesson on the immediate area and showed a picture of this place, and Drew knew that was it so he found it on a map and has always wanted to c-" Abby's statement was cut short by a sniper round pinging off Delta's helmet, he swiftly responded by pulling out his .44, taking aim at the offender, and pulling the trigger. All of which was performed while Abby ran towards cover. "Oh shit, there's more" Delta said loud enough for his frightened companion to hear, " I could use some assistance" he sounded off as Abby worked up the courage to poke around to corner, obviously not wanting to repeat the event that took place in the museum just three days earlier. She poked around the corner, spotted another sniper but wasn't able to take the shot before something really heavy and metallic barreled into her shortly before an explosion went off right where she was standing not two seconds before. She looked around as Delta got back up, continuing to fire on the attackers, until. Just as Abby's vision began to come back Delta went flying back due to a missile hitting him right on his strongest armor plate only making him fly back, not injuring him, or his armor, at all. He quickly got up and with one hand holding his minigun, the other raised his .44, allowing him to accurately blow the missle-launcher wielding raiders brains onto the one standing behind him. Abby, having recovered in that time, looked for a shot and found one on a female raider with a pink colored Mohawk, that was now colored red from her allies blood, she quickly took the shot knocking the back of the raiders head off, feeling the adrenaline she quickly looked for another shot and took it. Delta was actually having fun in this fight, until the belt for his minigun jammed, he crouched down trying to fix the belt, he saw a device that he was way to familiar with, a frag grenade. He kicked the device and laid flat hoping to only take shrapnel to the bottoms of his boots, he waited eight seconds, but nothing happened. He carefully picked it up, looked at it, and promptly threw it while pulling his trusty side arm took two shots and hit the explosive right in the middle of three raiders killing all of them. Abby reacquired a shot on the other sniper and killed her fourth raider while a .308 grazed her hip. Delta was fixing his guns loading belt when he heard the scream, he detached the belt from his pack and rushed to the source. "What happ-, oh ok it grazed you, christ, you scared the shit out of me, here take this and put pressure on the wound." He said handing her a clean towel as he walked to grab his minigun.

A few hours later Delta woke up to the sound of someone talking, he stood up and nearly got stabbed by another invisible foe he pushed them back and as the foe stumbled, he quickly slammed the barrels of his minigun down on their head and once again shattered the face mask. As he was about to slam his mini gun down again Abby caught it "Wait is that? Drew! He actually came here!" "This is him? How'd he get that gear?" Drew began to wake from his stupor and look around wondering what hit him until he saw the steel warrior with a large, heavy, steel boot on his chest. "Why did you try to kill me?" The loud, deep and now sort of metallic sounding voice boomed. "I.. thought you.. were..trying to kill Abby." Drew replied trying to breath with the seventy-five pound armored leg on his chest. "Alright i'll take it, but next time you see someone like me in steel armor don't try it, we try to help." He said taking his boot off of the new 'friends' chest. "Right, message received. But how did she get shot in the side?" He asked suspiciously." "I didn't it only grazed my hip, and it came from a sniper." Abby replied to her friend. "Well if you don't mind i'm going back to sleep." Delta said, taking his helmet off. When Drew saw the large scar going through his left eye that put his to shame. "Holy shit, can you even see from your left eye?" He asked, completely dumbstruck. The answer only shocked him further, "Yes." "How? You have a large cut going into your eye?" "I was kidding, calm down." He said laughing at Drew's relief, quickly drifting into sleep.

Delta awoke this time to the sound of...Rain? "What the hell? Is this real?" He wondered aloud, to his surprise the other two were still up. "Hey what time i-" He attempted to ask when a bolt of lightning struck nearby making the giant lightning rod jump up. "Well it would currently be zero hundred hours," stated Drew in a mocking military manor, "why you got somewhere you need to b-" he was cut off when Delta picked him up right off his feet by his neck. "Yea, I do, inside." Delta snarled while dropping him to land awkwardly on his ankle. "Is he always like this?" Drew asked while turning to look at Abby, nursing his ankle. "Not usually, not without reason." She said finally realizing that Delta was in all metal armor in a lightning storm. Seeing a building to the west with a openable door from the look of it, Delta started running towards it until a bolt of lightning struck even closer to him than last time, he ran back to where he had started. "Damnit I need to get i-" a thought struck him and he tried to dismiss it but to no avail. Delta began to take his suit of nearly impenetrable armor off and stuffing it into a duffel bag he always kept with him, underneath it all he had always worn a set of army fatigues and an old army pt shirt. As he was finishing his plan he heard footsteps nearing the corner he picked up his duffel bag full of armor and his large fifty eight pound ammo case and ran across the street. Looking back he had seen them round the corner before he had slammed through the rusted steel door, his gear crashed to the floor and he heard voices, even from his daze, that were coming from inside the building but he couldn't make out what they were saying. "Well, well looks like we've got us some loot bo-..." The Raider had been cut off by a .32 caliber bullet wrecking his skull spraying his brains onto anyone standing behind him, seeing this, although still blurred, Delta reached for his pistol but couldn't find it before a knife wielding raider leapt on top of him trying to jab her knife through his heart. Easily, Delta kicked her off and realized his .44 was in the bag so he resorted to the next best thing, stealing her knife and successfully slamming it into her eye socket before she could even scream. The others had arrived to see him do this with a smile on his face, Abby began ridding herself of her dinner and Drew just stood awestruck at the six foot eleven man of muscle holding a limp raider in his hand, Delta dropped her and turned around. "What? She tried to stab me!" Delta said receiving the same stare from Drew as he mouthed "Whoa" as he saw the mans true height was almost the same with or without armor.

After clearing the rest of the building. Delta was now sitting down on a flipped filing cabinet. "Drew explain to me how you got that gear." Delta demanded, not wanting to anger him Drew obliged. "From a slaver camp after they'd captured me. It's what I used to make my escape and clear the way for the other slaves." Drew stated while looking over at his gear, he carried a prewar pump shotgun as well as a katana and a combat knife, and then he had a rusted sniper rifle and a silenced ten mil and to add to it he wore a suit of chinese stealth armor, as Delta thought on how to word his next question "Okay, so that's how you got that scar?" Delta asked to clear things up on the scar on Drew's right eye. It was small compared to Delta's but still enough to draw attention. "Yea. But what about your's?" Drew stated trying not to offend him as he had earlier. "Shit, alright I guess I might aswell tell you..." Abby perked up at knowing he was about to explain the thing that had been screwing with her since she first saw it. "I was on patrol in a thunder storm like this one, and was struck. The insulation lining the inside of my armor was enough to make the levels of electricity non-lethal, but not enough to stop it from putting me in a coma. I woke up maybe two weeks later in a slave camp and stayed there until I turned twenty, and became part of the small but powerful uprising. Being the strongest of the slaves I was able to pry the gate open and release everyone but I had stayed to retrieve my gear, so I picked up a dead slavers assualt rifle and magazines and went to work picking up everything I could before I got to their supply stash and fought my way through to the back, I grabbed my Combat armor that the brotherhood had given me. It barely fit but it did, a few days later I had reached the Citadel and was promoted to a Knight of the Lyon's Pride. The scar was the slavers way of branding me since their knife couldn't cut my hand or arms, then again it hadn't been sharpened for probably a year." He told them as if reliving the events. "Hell someone like you could've escaped alone!" Drew said. "Not at the time I was captured. Being a slave for three years made me what I am now." Making the both of them jump Abby butted in "So you're a giant made of muscular steel because you were a slave?" "Yep." Delta replied "If it weren't for that I'd be a sniper or scout or somthing."

Two hours passed as Delta was cleaning all of their weapons and making repairs where needed, as for Drew's sniper rifle all he did was replace it with a better one that they'd scavenged off the corpse of the first dead sniper and worked that one instead. Abby finally had broken the silence "Delta how do you know how to take apart all of our weapons and put them back together?" "It's easy my father was a gunsmith for the brotherhood and showed me everything he knew, before he passed." Abby wanted to say something but the words wouldn't come out. "Don't worry about it, and one more bolt and...Done! Here's your almost brand new rifle." Delta said as he moved on to Abby's ten mil being the final weapon to clean. He proceeded to remove bolts from the side of the weapon then removing the top putting all the parts that he removed onto his ammo case. "Shit, your recoil spring is shot. We're going to have to find a good one." Delta said as Drew walked up to the second level and began re-searching the bodies of raiders they'd eliminated earlier, found a ten mil, and brought it down to Delta. "Here, try this one." Delta repeated the process from earlier and tested the spring "Yea this'll work, good job." Delta told him as he continued to clean the original pistol putting the other off to the side.

After he'd clean all the weapons he put his helmet on and switched to GNR hearing the beginning of Three-Dogs news section, "Hello capital wasteland, This is your president John Hen- HAHA! Gotchya Three-Dog here How ya doin. Okay It seems the settlement of Grayditch has gone quiet, Caravans say that no ones been spotted in or around the settlement, and there are reports of giant ants, alot of them. So if you're going around those parts be careful. And now some music." Three-Dog said before the station turn to Delta's favorite song, The ink spots, 'I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire'. The two watched as Delta bobbed his head singing along with the song. About three minutes later it was over and Delta had turned his radio off, and noticed he was being watched. He stood up and walked out, to his relief the rain had seized for now so he went to loot the rest of the raider corpses.

Delta was finished and returning to the building when a shot rang out missing by six inches, but the caliber is what scared the shit out of him. "HOLY FUCKING SHIT!" He yelled as he got inside, immediately picking up his stuff he ran up to the second floor. He began putting his armor back on when a shot went through the wall on the first floor. He grabbed his minigun and waited for anyone to come through the door. Minutes went by with nothing until footsteps neared the corner and entered the room immediately being knocked to the ground by Delta's blast of minigun with it doing no major damage, he dropped everything, rolled down the stairs and into his opponent knocking the extremely high powered rifle out of their hands, the two metal soldiers were now locked in hand to hand combat, both using pre-war military fighting tactics, both in metal armor, one steel, the other of lightweight composites. Both equally as strong, however it looked like weight was the determining factor of this fight, heavy or light, who will win. Delta pulled a takedown maneuver on his enclave opponent, and was pulled down with the hostile, both of them struggling to get back up the enclave soldier charged Delta and was countered by Delta dropping beneath him, picking him up and slamming him on the deck. Both fighting styles were from different branches of the pre-war military, one special forces Army used by the Enclave soldier, the other was special forces Marine corps used by Delta. Both warriors tried different maneuvers on each other and neither had gotten enclave soldier pulled out an officers sword and was quickly disarmed by Delta, however had another trick up his metallic sleeve, literally. He had a large blade built into his armor which was quickly unsheathed and broken by the BoS armor, but not without effect, the blade had lodged itself within Delta's gut. This did not however phase him at the moment, striking a heavy right hook Delta had cracked the enclave helmet with ease, he raised his leg up and kicked the enclave officer in the head causing the helmet to practically shatter from the force, one more time Delta pulled the same takedown maneuver from earlier this time with success, he began to donate strike after strike into his opponents cranium eventually delivering a blow so hard the officers head caved in and shattered from the extreme force.

Delta had begun to calm down when he finally noticed the blade lodged an inch and a half into his abdomen. "Shiiitt. Great now I've got a knife in me. I can make short work of it." He said as he began to pull it out when he was stopped, "Delta, take your chest plate off carefully, and allow me." Abby comanded, and Delta obliged removing his chestplate as slowly as possible without taking the blade with it. "Alright, now give me your ammo packs medkit." She said while reaching to her left waiting. Again Delta obliged, handing it to her as she began to use a clean towel, which they'd gotten from upstairs, to surround the knife making sure not to let go of the towel, she pulled the knife quickly but carefully and began applying pressure to the wound. She used one of their twenty stim-paks above the wound to slow the bleeding, when she deemed it slow enough she reached for the bandages and, with Drew's help, she wrapped them around the giant going through one roll with four passes of the wound. "Well it'll hold 'till we get to megaton." She said doubting herself, until Delta pulled out some duct tape. "Of course." She said plainly.

"Well I say we get goin' don't you?" Delta asked putting his armor back on. "Oh actually!" He walked over to his deceased rival and examined his weapon, ".50 cal AMR. Holy shit I've got Ashley a new toy. With, damn three boxes with twelve rounds in each." Abby just looked on at him confused "What does AMR stand for?" "Anti-Material Rifle. Best thing for a true sniper to have in heavily defended areas with tanks and such before the war, only problem is it takes one hell of a shoulder to fire this bitch, and if you don't have that shoulder you're either breaking it or dislocating it." He replied looking at the two of them as he said it. "So in other words, we wouldn't be able to fire it?" Drew asked "Bingo, now Ashley on the other hand can almost lift my armor and all my gear combined. So she may be able to without injury." Delta said finally realized his lovers strength. "Anyways now we leave for megaton."

(TWENTY MINUTES LATER ABOUT A MILE TO THE WEST)

The trio had been walking through the abnormally quite wastes when Drew finally realized something. "Hey! I think a yoa guai was chasing a caravan through here!" Delta was at a stand still in front of a large, clawed, foot print. "No," "What was it then?" Drew asked as he walked over. "A Deathclaw, Alpha male." Delta replied in a sort of whisper. "Shit, shit, shit, I didn't know they were this far east!" Delta began turning the radio dial on the outside of his helmet "This is an emergeny broadcast. All BoS personnel be advised we have an Alpha Male Deathclaw in the capital wasteland, repeat Alpha Male Deathclaw in the Capital wasteland, This message repeats." Delta said as he sent a distress call to the Citadel. Abby and Drew stared in awe at the print. "We should move you two. Oh shit, what was that." Delta said worriedly as the others responded simultaneously with a nod. They began running and were getting closer and closer to Megaton when they heard it, a primal, bloodcurrdling roar from behind them. Delta didn't have to look back, he took three mines, armed them and dropped them on a bridge close to the superduper mart, no one stopped. An explosion from behind knocked the bridge out from under the creature, but didn't kill it. Delta pulled the pin on a grenade while holding the spoon so it wouldn't arm and stopped. Turning around he threw the explosive at an unexploded bus, destroying the vehicle and crippling the creatures leg but not stopping it. Delta knew they needed time so ran and thought about the AMR, he unclipped it from his pack but didn't have enough time to fire it before he went through the air, allowing the rifle to fly free. He hit a rock harder than he thought he could've. He mainly damaged his ammo case and cracked his armor minorly, but he couldn't see straight, couldn't hear at all, and could barely stand. Despite all this he got up with everything he was worth he threw a rock at the creature "Hey lizard, I'm not dead yet!" He yelled at the oversized lizard. He didn't move as it charged him raising his claw... 'If this is how I die, than I hope what ever the fuck takes my soul fears me'... the creature was in the middle of a swing when a large round went into it's skull. "Uh uh motherfucker don't touch my tin can!" Ashley said as she fired another round into it crippling it, as it grabbed at it's head and looked down, it allowed it's weakest point to be in view long enough for her to put a round straight into that half dollar sized hole, making the creature fall and not get back up. She slung the overpowered rifle over her shoulder, and rushed to Delta who had since fallen back down. "Delta, you crazy son of a bitch!" "And that's why you love me." Delta replied. "Damn straight it is, but can you walk." "I don't know, give me something in return." "Okay hows about a nice warm shower when you get to megaton." She said, "With you, then we have a deal." Delta bartered with her. "Aright, fine but only when you can stand for more than thirty seconds." Ashley had looked over and saw the vault dweller and another figure wearing armor similar to hers, with a broken visor. "You punch him to?" "No, he slammed his gun down on him." Abby stated, "Okay well I can't help him all the way back, so can you help me?" Ashley asked while pointing at Drew, "Uh, sure Abby get behind him make sure he doesn't fall backward."


	4. Chapter 4 Family Values

"So, kid why did you leave the vault?" Ashley asked Drew while examining Delta's armor. "I came out looking for my father." Drew replied, "Well Delta your gonna have to stick to combat armor, this stuffs gone to shit. Oh and sorry about that kid, we'll help as much as we can but there's only so much we can do." "Thanks guys, last I knew he headed to Vault 112 to look for Doctor Stanisluas Braun, the person who practically made something called the G.E.C.K, The Garden of Eden Creation Kit, my dad needed it for a purifier to make a large scale water purifier." Drew stated looking at his PIPBOY, "According to this map it's somewhere to the west in an old garage." "How far west, somewhere near Tenpenny tower or closer?" Abby asked as she tended to the now unconscious Delta's wounds, "Uh yea actually it's about a mile north of it." He responded after taking a bite out of his brahmin steak. "So how's he doing?" Ashely asked the team 'medic'. "To my surprise he barely suffered anything but a concussion, so we wait a week or so he'll be fine to go back out." Abby responded with a small smile.

[A Week later]

"Who's there?" Ashley asked in response to a knock at the door. Delta reached over for the locker to his left for his .44 and trained it on the door as it opened. "Die muthe-" the scream was cut off by the round passing through his skull and entering the other mercs skull, but not exiting. A third entered the room and fired...Nothing... The Talon Company soldier's rifle jammed and he was quickly face down on the floor with Ashley's knee on his neck. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!" Delta was now only a step away from murdering the mercenary, "Holy shit, we didn't know they'd have any security!" The rookie merc said. "I don't care I'll ask again, Who... Are.. You." "We're Talon company we were sent for Drew and the other vault dwe-" He was cut off by the .44 round stripping his head clean from his body. "Delta!" Ashley snapped, irritated. "What, he tried to move." Delta 'innocently' responded. "God- and that's why I love you."

The 'fire-squad' was now prepared for the wastes with the giant sporting a heavily armored version of the standard combat armor, he had a high powered 7.62x51 DMR and leaving his .44 behind he decided to take a .45 Colt M1911, and in case they ran into resistance he brought a Hawk MM-1 grenade launcher, Ashley in the standard combat armor was carrying her new .50 cal with a small MP5K sub-machine gun as well as a Colt M1911A. Abby was carrying her normal weapons, a simple hunting rifle and 10mm, Drew had his arsenal built with a katana and back up combat knife, a silenced 10mm pistol, a Remington 870MCS and a badly damaged Mk11-MOD DMR. Delta had a large rucksack with most everyone's ammo, as well as extra space for anything they find, however they were all carrying something for supplies. Ashley was carrying medical supplies while Abby had technology, and Drew, well Drew was carrying stealth boys and his ammo. They were walking out of megaton when they'd noticed that the sniper that was usually on gaurd wasn't there. "Shit they must've killed him, poor bastard." Delta said sympathetically.

Two hours of walking they'd stopped to take a break, while Delta protested. "Why doesn't he want to rest?" Abby asked quizically. "He never wants to, it's just something he got used to as a slave I guess." After a few minutes Ashley had finally convinced him to sit down and at least drink something. The trip so far had been uneventful, not even words were spoken during most of it, that is until they came across a slaughtered caravan, "Deathclaw?" Ashley asked as Delta began examining the brahmin corpes, "Well Ash, I'd like to say that your right again, but it seems they were killed by energy weapons, then torn up. I don't know why or by who and honestly I dont care, but keep your eyes peeled and keep moving, we're about twenty minutes away from where ever the garage is." And as the group kept moving they saw more and more corpses until they saw the suspects. A group of three, two men and a woman were busy finishing up on a corpes when Delta walked up and said "Any last words?" All three looked up and flashed their yellowed and decayed teeth. "Now that is nasty." Delta fired three shots from his .45 all of which found their new home in the skulls of the opposition. "We're clear" he stated into a radio allowing Ashley and the rest to regroup with him. "Let's go, almost there." Delta walked off with the rest trying to catch up.

As Delta opened the door of the abandoned garage he reached for his headlight, Which was now strapped to his helmet on this armor, when he saw and electrical switch out of the corner of his eye. "Oh hey maybe this place still has power, the switch flipped and a rather un-seeable door opened, "Oh...Or maybe not" he said chuckling. Ashley patted his back as she climbed down the stairs passed him. The next room was what looked like it'd been set up as a science lab recently, "Dad. It has to be! He's here." Drew said as he tinkered with the science gear. The team had made it to a room with pipes running along the walls after a little searching. "Shh! Be very quite i'm hunting ghouls." Ashley said as she pulled her side arm. She rounded a corner and braced herself against a wall and fired the entire clip of the fully automatic pistol into three ghouls killing two, but the third didn't go down. She tried again, nothing. The creature was charging at her when Delta fired three shots into it, nothing. He noticed that the creature was a reaver, "Shit!" he said as he charged the creature and the railing behind it collapsed under the pressure, allowing Delta and the ghoul to fall about twenty feet, Delta got up and walked away, then fired two rounds of his GL into the ghoul killing it instantly on the first shot. Ashley had rushed down the stairs and saw Delta's chest bleeding, "Delta, your bleeding!" "I know. Let's get moving." He replied as he walked off with his rifle toward the Vault entrance.


	5. Chapter 5 Tranquility of War

They had to leave Delta at the entrance, he refused to put the suit on.

"He couldn't ju-" They heard a shot, ping and an explosion.

"Goddammit. Well he came in." Ashley said looking back, waiting.

Delta turned the corner and froze, "Uh. They, wouldn't shut up." He said hoping they'd buy it.

"Ugh, Alright lets keep going." Ashley said opening the door into the main room. It had Pods of some sort spaced evenly apart each with it's own person inside and Drew spotted one that was different. He walked down to the pod and saw his, "Dad?" Drew started knocking on the pod, but to no avail.

"Dammit! He can't hear me, how do I get his attention?" He looked around and his eyes stopped on a terminal which he thought might have controlled the pod. "Shit! Nothing, wait why is he a dog?"

"Drew. There's supposed to be a fail safe, but you need to be in the simulation. There's an empty pod, and we can still communicate with you, you'll still have your PIPBOY turn your radio on and we'll be able to talk you through the fail safe when you find your dad." Abby told him as she looked through the control terminals files.

"Alright I'm putting my gear next to the door so if I forget about it you know where it is. Alright here I go." Drew said as he lifted himself into the simulation pod, as it closed around him and put him into the simulation.

Delta had already started working on finding ammo and anything else he could sell. He reached a vault door that surprisingly he couldn't blow open. "Hmmm I wond-" he was cut off by a female voice inside.

"Please get me out of here! I was left here by my master and never released. Please, help me!" The voice cried and immediately Delta began shooting the door with his grenade launcher but to no avail, he tried to pick it but didn't know how. He grabbed the handle and began using all his strength to lift it but only got about a foot. "Help." He strained to hold it while the others helped lift it enough for the girl to get out, she had slipped through the door and started hugging Delta as hard as she could.

"Wait, okay what's your name?" Ashley asked as Delta looted the room they'd saved her from, discovering that it was the Vault armory. "C- Courtney." The slave had said, "Wh- what is he..." She hadn't gotten to finish before Delta had accidentally shot a plasma mine.

"ARE YOU OKAY!" Ashley called out to him "YEA! I just don't understand these weapons, that's all." He responded.

"Drew! Alright good once you find him you'll need to find the 'Abandoned House' and walk inside." Abby had stated into her PIPBOY's speaker. "Abby I found him but, wouldn't that raise suspicion?" Drew replied. "No they've been in multiple simulations since they entered the Vault, so they think you're just another one of the 'additions' just find that building. Once you're inside there will be a radio, a soda bottle, a cinder block, a gnome and a hat stand. Touch each of these and they'll make a noise, it doesn't say anything else from there so you're on your own." Abby explained as Courtney began eating the stew she was given.

"Don't worry, I know what it's like to be a slave." Delta had told the frightened girl. She just looked up curiously at him and back at her food, she was eventually able to say "W- who was your slave master?" Delta heard this and didn't answer as he thought about it, "Eulogy, I work directly for him gathering his 'girls' and doing all of the heavy lifting in the area. That fucking pig will die by my hand one day, it's only a matter of when."

An hour or so had passed as Drew was figuring a way for him and his father to exit the simulation until he finally cracked it. "Yes, alright now review the fail safe protocols, and activate." He ran out of the house and saw Chinese soldiers firing assualt rifles as he ran and practically threw his dad into the exit. "He did it! Guys he escaped it!" Abby said turning to her right to see his fathers pod and Drew's pod opening as they reunited with one another.

They released their father-son embrace as his father asked "Who are they, your friends?" "Yea, you know Abby, this is Delta, Ashley, and I don't know who she is?" Drew responded to his father curiously. "This is Courtney, we found her in that room over there." Delta said while tinkering with the slave collar and managing to deactivate it.

"Son, I know you may have millions of questions, but it will work. The G.E.C.K will work as a large scale purifier. Now I must return to rivet city and speak to Doctor Li. One more thing before I leave, how did you manually open that door?" He finished while looking at the group. "I just lifted with all my strength and had Ash help me get it wide enough to enter. The hydraulics broke halfway through the lift."

They'd been walking for two hours towards Rivet City when they stumbled across a fresh carcass. "Mauled by a Yao Guai?" Delta asked, "Delta, look at the body! Do you think a Guai could slice it clean in half!" Ashley snaped at him, "I-I'm sorry, but this was a deathclaw. Bigger than the last one. Shit!" She said shakily as a roar sounded off from a couple hundred feet away. Drew activated his armor's cloak, Abby and Ashley activated their stealth boys, and Delta got ready for a fight.

The Deathclaw came over the hill sniffing out it's target, and found him. Delta fired one magazine from his DMR and another from his pistol. He wasn't able to pull his grenade launcher before he took flight, hitting the ground hard and rolling, his grenade launcher had somehow flown off the left side of his body as well as something else. His left arm had been cut clean from his body. Ashley picked up the launcher and fired all six rounds into it's chest, blowing away some of it's ribs. She took three shots with her .50 blowing away enough to get to it's heart but she wasn't able to. The Deathclaw had found her and almost got her. Drew had begun to fire at it's heart, with no effect. He ran to Delta and grabbed the 40mm grenade belt, he found the launcher, loaded it and then fired three shots. Each one taking chunks out of it's heart, causing the creature to bleed out.

Ashley was looking around frantically for Delta. She looked down and saw and arm, "Oh no. Delta." Her eyes began to water when Drew had pulled her behind a rock. Delta was still conscious but bleeding out, Ashley had started working on covering his arm when they all heard a metallic rattling, and voices. Drew and Abby had taken up arms and waited for them while Ashley continued. Drew's dad and Courtney had run off to get a caravan to help them when the battle started. "G-Get me t- to riv-rivet ci-city, to Doct- Doctor Li." Delta managed to say between bloody coughs.

"Yes, put him in the trailer." One of the caravaners said while helping lift him in, "Alright get us to Rivet City, NOW!" He continued as he yelled at the caravan driver.

It was nightfall when they'd reached the city. "Can you help us get him inside?" Drew's dad asked the Caravan. "Sorry but we gotta go." Abby had walked over to the intercom "Let us in assholes we have injured with us and he needs to see Doctor Li. Now!" Her crying was successful as the bridge creaked and moaned as it swung out to them and they immediately carried Delta across and was lead to the Science Lab by the security officer outside.

"Li! You need to help us. Please at least help him!" James, Drew's father, yelled as everyone stared at the one armed man. "James, I- I don't know if we can. We d-." "Doctor, what about the bio-mechanical limbs?" Another doctor interrupted, "We don't even know if those will work after all these years!" Li argued. "We have to try, and if they do then do you know what that could mean for the wasteland?" The other doctor, clearly wanting to test possibilities, said begging the lead doctor. "Alright fine we'll do it. Remember we've never done this operation before. Okay get the anesthesia and operating equipment, you all need to leave we're expecting about an hour and a half operation, but please leave."

"What am I going to do for an hour and a half other than worry my ass off?" Ashley, clearly worried, had said. "Well the Jefferson memorial has been overrun by mutants and we're going to need to get in there eventually, so I'd appreciate if you could help." James said trying to calm her down. "Okay, okay, what about you two? Will you go with?" "Sure." came the simultaneous answer from the other two.


	6. Chapter 6 Metallic, Uhh?

The four had left after bartering for what ammo they could get, for the Jefferson Memorial building hoping to clear it out but that idea was quickly changed from easy job, to shit this'll be hard. They were walking towards it and could already see mutants, not to mention the resistance they were walking into. Shots rang out all towards them as they ran for a rock, Ashley jumped over it while everyone else went around. "Well shit! How do you think we should deal with this D... Drew?" She had said catching herself from asking Delta. "Me? Ahh shit I don't know, uhh anyone got a frag?" Drew replied sticking his head around the corner as Ashley passed Delta's grenade launcher to him. "Oh okay this'll work even better." He said as he spun around the corner and activated his V.A.T.S marking three different mutants and firing. Two shots met their targets, but one went high hitting a building, dropping rubble on anything underneath it. He got back into cover as Ashley popped up and took one shot with her .50 cal blowing a mutants head to bits, killing it the instant the round hit.

The four had carefully moved up to where the mutants were and realized that there were actually four, but the rubble killed one hiding in the back. Abby looked around for anything of use, instead she saw a woman sitting tied up towards the end of a catwalk-type structure. "Hang on. Let me get these bindings off. Are you alright?" She'd asked the terrified captive, "Yes, I was on my way to Rivet City when they jumped me and took me captive, I was able to hide these, here you take them." The woman said still breathing heavily. "No, no, you keep them they'll help you more than us." Abby kindly turned down the woman's offer.

"Hey Abby can you get into this terminal?" Drew asked pressing the on button, only to hear three beeps before he got tackled and heard an explosion shortly after. "Holy shit!" He said trying to recover his balance. "Thanks." "No problem, but seriously be careful. If there's a rotating stem up top, don't touch it. Okay?" Ashley said, "Right got it."

Ashley had set up a snipers nest of a sort on the end of the catwalk. "Alright let's see if I can take some of these fuckers down." She said while looking through her scope, smiling as she took multiple shots. "Haha, five shots six kills." "Wait, what?" Drew said trying to figure out the math. "One of my shots killed two. OH! Poor mutant, I just got a head shot if you know what I mean." She said simpathetically while taking another shot, putting the mutant out of it's misery. Her last shot was distracted and went wild.

The mutants were shooting back. This plan, however, was not working because of the considerable amount of steel surrounding them and Ashley reloaded and finished off the rest quickly. She was packing her rifle's ammo back up when she noticed James was already halfway to the memorial, they had to double time just to catch up to him.

They looted what they could from the bodies and moved on, always keeping their eyes open. As they were approaching the entrance, Ashley held her fist up telling them to hold position. She opened the door and almost received a hail of assault rifle fire. The rest had moved to cover on the opposite side of the door. This time Ashley passed drew a grenade and told him to wait until she flash-banged the mutants who were all in cover.

She turned the corner and chucked the flash grenade down the hallway and fired three shots to get their attention as the device went off. Drew quickly pulled the pin and tossed his grenade into the middle of the group killing four mutants, blasting the last down the hall a few feet. Ashley was the first to enter and open fire on the Super mutant Overlord, who was stumbling to his feet. Drew was behind her and fired next, soon followed by Abby and James. The mutant wasn't going down easily and started firing back with it's tri-beam laser rifle, knocking Ashley down as a laser grazed her abdomen. Drew activated his suits stealth field which confused the creature, and quickly He was behind it sending his sword through it's chest knocking it onto one knee as Drew's combat knife was lodged into the back of it's neck then kicked further inward, finally killing the creature. Drew deactivated his armor and retrieved his weapons before returning to his companions.

After regaining her composure, Ashley began to stand up when a shot rang out from Abby's rifle and entered another super mutants head, killing it instantly.

"Come on let's clear the rest of this place so I can eat. I'm starving." Abby said grabbing any .32 rounds she could find. "Agreed" Drew replied beginning to walk through the rest of the building until he realized that Ashley wasn't walking on her own and was being helped by his father. "Hey, dad let me help." "No son, we need someone who's able to use both hands in a fight, and right now you and your friend are the only ones, so please lead the way." James replied, being carefully to not pull Ashley forward. "Alright, come on Abby let's lead." Drew said, feeling bad that he couldn't help his father.

They didn't encounter any more resistance as they approached the door to the rotunda. "AH! Shit hang on." Ashley said with tears beginning to fall. "What's the matter?" James asked in response. "I just need to sit for a while, you three go I'll stay here and make sure no one gets pass." "No I'm going to stay with you, you two go." "Wait, here Abby take this for now it'll be useful in there, just make sure to give it back." Ashley said handing over her MP5K smg. "Be careful son." "No problem dad." Drew replied, "Come on Abby let's clear it out." He continued as he carefully opened the door, spotting three mutants. They were taking cover behind the pillars as the door closed behind them.

"Now what's wrong?" James asked as Ashley continued to cry. "I don't know, It didn't hurt this much before." She replied, hearing gunfire behind them. "That's because the adrenaline is wearing off." "No it's not that I think there's something else." She said no longer holding her 'tough girl' routine knowing that she was with another doctor. James curiously began inspecting her wound and discovered that when she fell she landed on a larger splinter from one of the wooden tables. "Well I found the problem, you've also got a splinter in the wound." He gently pulled, but even that was too much "AHH! Stop please!" She begged, but didn't win. James continued to pull as she continued to scream in pain, until it was finally out. "Why couldn't you have pulled it fast?" Ashley cried, "Because I'd be risking it breaking and staying in the wound, feel better?" James replied. "Yes I do but not much. Dammit I don't have any Med-X!"

Abby and Drew returned unscathed and almost out of ammo. Abby handed the SMG back and asked "What was all that screaming?" "Oh don't worry about it, it's over now." Ashley replied trying not to let them see that she was crying, it didn't work. "Damn it must've been bad if it made you cry." Drew said as he knelt down examining the large four inch long splinter on the floor. "Yes it was, that was the cause of it. That splinter got lodged into her abdomen three inches. So I had to pull it." James said saving Ashley from having to defend herself. "Can we just leave now?" Ashley asked while trying to stand on her own. "Yes." James replied as he moved to help her, again letting his son lead the way.

They had returned to Rivet City only for Drew and his father to walk back, leaving Abby to help Ashley to the Science lab. Since it had been nearly two hours they should have been done with the operation. Thankfully they were and Ashley broke free and ran to Delta, throwing her arms as far around him as possible. They were training Delta to use the new arm he'd been giving, so far he was a quick study and was already getting a hang on the basic movements, when Ashley ran up to him. "Hey," he said returning the hug, but forcing her to take a step back so he could see her stomach, "Jesus, what happened?" He said making her sit down. "I was hit by a laser, but I'm fine," She replied trying to hug him again, but was turned down. "Doctor I'll pay for this to but can you help her?" Delta asked, sitting down next to her and bringing her closer to him with his new arm, she didn't notice. The science team began their work."

About twenty or so minutes later they continued training Delta on faster movements, which was again no problem for him. An hour later he had complete control over his arm, and was now being taught about his PIPBOY type computer and his arm. "Okay, so first thing first, your arm will not be fully water proof for about a month until the joints all settle in. Next the arm is just as strong as your other and with work, if you can even get any bigger, it will stay at the same levels as your right arm. Now your computer, well she can explain it to you. Other than that there is absolutely no maintenance needed unless you damage it and if that happens come back here and we can fix it." Doctor Li explained. "Thank you Doc, but one question am I able to put my armor on it?" Delta Asked "Yes you can, uhh, oh, there they are. Here take these and screw them into the back of your armor plates and then snap them into the joints.

"Where's my grenade launcher?" Delta asked as he was putting his gear back on. "Oh shit I forgot Drew has it. He's over at the Jefferson memorial assisting his dad with something. "Wait, you mean James, he found something that'll work." Doctor Li butted in, "Alright let me get my team together and we'll get going." She continued. "Yea I guess but you keep putting your stuff on then meet us outside, I've got to go find Abby." Ashley said as she turned around and walked out the ships door.

About fifteen minutes passed when Delta had finished attaching his armor plates to his metallic arm. He turned and attempted to find his way out but needed to get help from a guard. He opened the door and saw that the rain was coming down hard, extremely hard. "Well shit, hey Doc can I go through this shit." He asked Doctor Li, "Yes, just no swimming." Was the response, "Now can we leave for the Project building?" She continued and received multiple nods as Delta took point, cautiously sticking his new arm into the rain and realized he could actually feel the drops bouncing off in a way. They made their way to the old building and was relieved when there was no new resistance on the way, and as Ashley opened the door and she noticed that the lights were all on and they heard, gunfire.

Delta was the first to start running for the door to the basement and they were half way down the stairs when Delta heard a mutant screaming death threats. He turned the corner to see another Overlord, Delta dropped his rifle and charged full speed for the over sized creature, tackling it with enough force to carry it a few feet and knock it over, he then began to pull out a grenade when he was kicked off the creature and sent flying a few feet back. He was able to flip before he landed and wasn't knocked to the ground he re approached the large mutant who was now wielding a spiked 4x4. The mutant swung but the wood was not enough to hold against it's metal opponent, Delta's arm. Delta was almost picked up and went under the creature to get behind it, he then proceeded to dislocate the creatures leg from behind making the Mutant on steroids fall back, allowing Delta to shove a plasma grenade down its throat and take cover.

The explosive went off and Delta retrieved his rifle and walked over to Drew, "Does he always pull stuff like that?" Li asked, "Yea he's kind of erratic." Ashley confirmed. "Hey you good?" Delta asked the amazed Drew while helping him up. "Yea, yea. Holy shit!" Drew replied under his breath as Delta just chuckled and walked away, "What were you doing down here anyways?" Delta continued. "Well I was returning to the main level when they jumped out behind me making it damn near impossible to run." Drew replied looking at the corpses scattered around. Delta began walking back towards the door when he heard something else behind them, he spun and raised his rifle aiming at the noise. It was female, young, really young and it was crying. "Hello?" Delta called out as he walked to the source when Ashley grabbed him and turned him around. "Delta, there's nothing over there." She said, "What? Yes there is you don't hear that crying?" Delta replied causing Ashley to listen closer, nothing. "Come on let's get you out of-"

Delta's world had changed into a scene from his childhood, thirteen years ago. His family had come here for some supplies, but was trapped by raiders. The bastards killed his parents right in front of him, he was crying over their bodies as the raiders went and shot his sister who was hiding in a maintenance closet. Delta was furious, he picked up his father's pistol, the same Colt M1911 that he carries to this day, he sent shot after shot with extreme accuracy, each one killing a raider before they knew what had hit them, and before he knew it the battle was won. He dropped the gun to check on his sister, Shelby. As he turned the corner to the inside he saw the bullet hole in her chest, she was bleeding out. Delta wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer, trying to be the big brother, he tried to stop the bleeding but it was no use his sister had just bled out in his arms. He sat there crying until a trade caravan had came into the basement and found him sitting in the closet hugging his sister's lifeless body to his chest as he tried to talk her back to life.

After an hour of persuading him, the caravan had gotten him out of the building and took him to megaton, but not before he took his fathers pistol. One of the residents allowed him to stay with them. For weeks he basically sat and starred at the weapon.

He was out of his flashback and found himself starring at that same pistol with a tear falling onto it. "Delta! Yoohoo an- Delta are you crying?" Ashley mocked not knowing his past. "What! No, of course not!" He replied trying not to let her hear the sadness in his voice. "Delta your going to explain whatever happened here." Ashley demanded, and received a head shake from Delta. "Delta!" She said his name as if it were a command and loudly enough to get the groups attention. "No. I think it's best if you didn't find out." The large man replied sternly. "Alright hon come on now, please." She said lustfully, "Babe, you don't want to know because you still have siblings and your parents!" Delta shouted back startling Ashley causing her and the group all to jump at the sudden loudness. "I'm sorry, just please. I don't want to talk about it." Delta apologized bringing Ashley into his arms as she returned the embrace.

"I'm so, so sorry. I didn't, I didn't know." Ashley replied, choking on her words as tears fell from her eyes and were absorbed into Delta's already drenched armor. "It's fine, I didn't mean to yell at you." He apologized as he wrapped his arms around her and picked her up making his way to the door not realizing that James had joined the group and overheard all of it. "Delta, you're not alone with those feelings. I lost my parents and wife." James had said sympathetically. Ashley was trying to stop her crying when she kept thinking about if she lost her family and what she'd do if she did, which just brought back the waterfall.

Hours had passed and it was about 23:00 when Delta was awoken to the sound of air being sliced. He grabbed his gear and headed towards the door. He was about halfway there when it was blown off its hinges and an Enclave team entered the building only to be mowed down by the large 7.62 rounds that Delta was sending down range with extreme precision. The rest were awake and heard metallic footsteps coming from inside the basement moving towards the door. Delta was being pushed back by the sudden rush of Enclave troops. He stopped and attempted to hold his position, he was just barely able to when he heard gunfire coming from behind him. He ran and as he approached the corner he jumped sideways into the prone position, allowing himself to roll until he came to a natural stop he then began to fire on the attackers, taking down five before they knew what hit them. The others however were not going down so easily, they began to fire back hitting Delta's new arm as the rounds just bounced off. He swung his grenade launcher around his arm so he could get a good shot and hit one Enclave soldier in the helmet detonating the explosive on impact, killing him and his friends. Delta ran to regroup with his companions but was hit in the leg causing him to stumble to the ground and roll, or did he do it on purpose. Delta was now facing the aggressors and unleashing every round he had from his 40mm grenade launcher. Killing all the attackers in the immediate vicinity and stopping anymore from coming in as he had caved in that doorway.

Their victory was cut short when Ashley went down because of a shot to her leg, she began rapidly firing as Delta loaded his Armor Piercing rounds into his already powerful rifle, and he also began firing. One by one the Enclaves numbers were crumbling, twenty rounds later Delta reloaded and continued his killing streak. Soon they were being attacked from both front and back, Delta re-slung his rifle around his right arm and pulled his sidearm and began firing as he pulled Ashley into the rotunda and up the walkway where he would only have to worry about one direction of enemies. He laid prone and began firing until a round hit his helmet putting him into a blurry daze as his new wrist computer went wild with concussion alerts, he never stopped firing unless he needed to reload, vision or not. Soon everyone was firing back, and soon everyone was injured but still fighting. Minutes that felt like hours had passed and soon there was only a trickle of Enclave coming in. Another round hit Delta's helmet this knocking him out. When he awoke his companions and the science team were tied up. James and another doctor were inside the now closed rotunda and were talking to the Presidents right hand man. Colonel Agustus Autumn, the man that Delta hated more than anyone. As Delta began to move silently to his feet he grabbed the single Enclave soldier still outside the rotunda and snapped his neck with ease. Silently enough to not interrupt the conversation taking place. "This is your last chance to hand over all materials related to project purity before we take it by force." The Colonel declared, "Fine as you wish, let me get everything ready for you." James replied as he walked over to the console pressing three buttons, two, one and six. "Revelation twenty one six, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst from the fountain of the waters of life freely." James said before plunging the room into an extremely deadly dose of radiation, killing them all.

Delta had just finished releasing his companions when this happened. Drew was pounding on the glass door trying anything to get in. Delta had rushed over to try to lift the door. But the sudden rush of energy sent him closer to blacking out again, but he ignored the pain and blurred vision until he realized that the door wasn't moving so he kept trying harder until he went over his limit causing him to let go suddenly and black out almost landing on Abby behind him. He was already out before he hit the ground, but even through this he could feel the back of his head hit the steel floor beneath it.

Delta was back in his childhood, back in megaton. He was walking around aimlessly when he saw some older boys bullying Ashley. He stepped in trying to stop them but was pushed over by one with ease. He was furious once again, he stood back up and aproached them, he threw a hard right hook causing the leader of the little group to fall over, as this was happening Moira was stepping out of her store, Delta threw another punch that connected with a very thin boys rib cage causing him to fall over gasping for breath. The last boy was very overweight, making his punches easy to dodge until the leader got back up and tackled Delta. "Come on you little punk, you want some." The leader said beating Delta until Simms had walked up the ramp. Delta saw this as permission to hit as much as he wanted, the leader came straight down as Delta moved his head, forcing the bully's hand to hit the metal roofing under him. Delta pushed as hard as he could to get him off, with success. He stood vision blurred from blood tears and the sudden rush. He pulled the boy towards the ramp and kicked him down it as the parents were coming up the ramp. All of them Ashley's, the fatties, the twigs, and the leader's. Delta turned caught eyes on the twig and began kicking him until the fatty swung a switchblade that connected with his side and dragged across his back, he screamed in pain. Delta turned to face the fat boy with anger and pain on his face, this alone was enough to make him run to his mother. Delta began swaying back and forth before falling backwards only to be caught by Ashley's father, who carried him down to the Doctor's shack. Ever since that day him and Ashley have been together.

"Delta! DELTA!" Ashley was screaming his name which cause his eyes to fly open only to be quickly shut from the intense light and pain. He threw his right arm over his eyes to open them, he tried sitting up but couldn't because of the new pain in his chest and abdomen. "Uugh, what the hell hit me in the chest?" He asked groggily, "Delta relax, you've been out for about thirty minutes," a buzzing was now entering his ears, he looked down at his wrist computer and saw messages flashing about broken bones, major concussions and blood loss. "We need to get to the Citadel, NOW!" Doctor Li had yelled. "Doctor he wont be able to make that run in this condition, we'll have Enclave on our asses the entire way." Ashley shot back, "No we won't have to run there's a sewage entrance manhole in the museum that leads straight to the citadel." "Alright, but we'll need to at least give him med-x or something."

Thirty minutes of walking through sewers and the Med-x was wearing off, Delta's world was fading from his senses again but despite this he continued on. Until he could feel his leg again, "AHHH, SHIT!" He screamed as he fell to the ground, he tried to regain his senses but couldn't get pass the pain. Doctor Li had put enough pressure to fuck that mission up, again. "AHHH! SON OF A BITCH, STOP!" Li had jumped away after hearing this. Delta began to crawl to the side of the pipe, when he got there he forced himself up and used the wall as a guide as he stumbled forward. His vision was slowly coming back until he stepped wrong, "SHIIITT!" he had fallen again and this time couldn't get back up without help.

They were at the end of the system where a ladder stood nine feet tall, but to the wounded warrior it seemed like a mile, the rest helped pull him up. This help only aggravated his other wounds. They got him on his feet and walked towards the gate. "My name is doctor Li with the Rivet City science team requesting access." "Sorry Lady I can't let yo-" He was cut off by Delta, "I am Knight Delta of the Lyons Pride, Holotag number three, seven, five, eight, two. Requesting access." Delta said as if he wasn't injured. "Of course sir, You all may now enter." The gate guard replied as the gate raised.


	7. Chapter 7 The Lyons Den

Sarah Lyons was already waiting in the courtyard having heard of Delta's return. As the group passed through the doors into the yard they each saw a look of shock on her face. Seeing Delta in this condition had worried her, especially since the last time she'd seen him he was helping them clear the GNR building plaza. "Delta! What the hell happened?" Lyons had said leaving her professional demeanor behind as she went to help Ashley. The two women never liked each other but in this situation they pulled together for Delta's sake. "Enclave, at the memorial." Ashley panted having been exhausted from carrying half of Delta's weight over nearly two miles. "Shit! Alright I'll get the pride together to secure it. As for him I think he'll need some rest and a lot of medical attention. So he stays here." Lyons had replied, "And, I'll stay with him." Ashley forced out in a pained voice "Make sure y-you don-" She'd collapsed from and injury she sustained on the way from a frag mine.

It was Ashley's turn to flash back to her childhood, the first time she'd ever seen Delta she knew she loved him. But when he fought, and almost got his ass kicked, the young girl knew he was stronger and tougher than he let on, he just needed some way to show it. That fight released a primal beast in him, the fighter, the killer, her crush. When she'd seen that asshole Dillon go down and saw Delta switch targets to Auston she knew this would be the last time they fucked with her. Half way though the battle way she saw Delta getting beaten, her thought's changed, that is until their eye's met for a split second. Delta always thought it was the sight of Simms that got him fighting again, but it wasn't. That split second turned his adrenaline into jet fuel, and as the blood coursed through his veins his survival instincts jolted his actions without him knowing it. He'd kicked the shit out of those kids, for her, for Ashley.

She'd waken up in a hospital bed four hours later from the sound of boot steps. She looked to her right and saw Delta being treated by a medical robot and another BoS medic. She didn't see Lyons anywhere, which for her was a good thing. That woman thought just because she made Delta part of her 'special' team gave her the right to try to steal him from Ashley. The two women were equal in different ways other than strength, Ashley won that battle by a football field, same with looks. She knew no matter what that bitch did Delta wouldn't trade in Ashley for his 'boss'. That statement in the metro when she'd tackled him rang through her head. She stood up and waited for her vision to come back after it's temporary break, and began to examine Delta's arm when she noticed the computer was on. "Hey Delta, when you wake up come down to my quarters for a 'surprise'" The message said clearly the work of Lyons. Ashley grabbed her green army fatigues and white tank top, and went down to find Lyons.

Ashley walked into the largest room in the entire facility and immediately spotted the blonde bitch. Half way down the stairs Lyons saw her coming and started to run but Ashley had hopped the railing and landed in front of her. Lyons was backing up trying to keep her composure in front of her unit, until Ashley threw a punch that landed dead center, knocking the power armored woman to the ground with ease, also attracting a lot of negative attention from every one in the room with a weapon. This however did not bother Ashley in the slightest, she pulled the woman up by her hair and bashed her head against a wall, but receiving a side swipe from a iron fist, almost literally. One of Lyons men punched the pissed woman. This was a mistake, Ashley got up and knocked him to the ground easier than she had with Lyons. Her target changed again, a shot rang out from behind her but didn't do anything to dissuade her, she continued to walk towards Lyons and grabbed her by the armor and with a ton of effort she pinned Lyons a foot off the ground and held her there "You keep trying and I will kick your ass until it's nothing but sand bitch!" Ashley said no longer holding Lyons as she turned around to see six Paladins with laser weapons pointed in her face. She pushed one away and continued walking back to the infirmary.

Having been happy with her accomplishments she sat next to Delta grabbed his arm and deleted the message. More metallic boots nearing her position, she grabbed her M1911A and swayed it towards the door right at the person entering the room without changing her heads position. "Whoa I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for trying to take Delta from you. After seeing what you were capable of doing back there I've decided that it's best not to fuck with you, and for extra I had your armor taken to the Armory and repaired, as for his. Well it was fubar so I came to bring our most protective power armor, with extra reinforcement. The T51b power armor." Lyons handed over the equipment and walked out.

A few hours later Delta had regained consciousness and was trying to sit up when the aching in his head returned, Ashley had seen him doing this and pushed him back. "Stay down babe, getting up wont help your pain. Lyons came by and dropped off some armor, she also got my armor repaired but yours was fucked." She explained while Delta looked around trying to figure out where he was. "Shit. Where am I?" Delta asked still in his daze, pain running through his body. "Your in the Citadel, we got you here yesterday. You've been in pretty rough shape, the Doc said you were probably in a coma. Good to see your not." She responded while walking towards the doorway, "Need anything?" "Some whiskey'd be nice." He said still recovering his vision.

When Ashley returned Delta was wandering the room trying to regain his senses. "Dammit Delta I told you to stay down!" She said putting his whiskey down on a table, "You don't get this until you find the bed and get back in it." "Okay can you at least help?" Delta replied, "Nope." Delta struggled his way to his bed, and plopped down on it waiting for his whiskey. "Well where's my whiskey?" Delta asked, "Right here." She said as she put the whiskey in his hand. "Thanks, babe."

After about twenty minutes of no talking Abby walked in with Drew not far behind her. "Hey Ashley. Oh Delta's awake." Abby said walking to a chair. "Delta I want to thank you for all your life and health risking efforts to save my dad and his project." Drew said while shaking Delta's whiskey free hand, "No problem kid. It's the least I could've done, I'm just sorry that they weren't enough." Delta replied, trying to sound as polite as possible. "Than-" Drew was cut off by an explosion that shook the building, making warning sirens sound. This caused Delta to get up and grab both his and Ashley's pistols and walking out into the courtyard. He had no armor only his pants and boots on, one of the recruits fell, blood pouring from their head onto the cold pavement below. A shot whizzed pass Delta and into the wall behind him, he ran to cover and tried to get a shot. He had taken as many mags as he could fit into his pockets. He poked his head over the wall only to see one of the Enclave Officers. He pulled her over the wall and snapped their neck without a sound. His eyes stopped wandering on another officer he took two shot from his weapon each one hitting the Officer in the head. He took five shots at a hellfire unit, only one shot actually did any damage. The Hellfire unit turned but wasn't able to fire before he was tackled to the ground. Delta grabbed his heavy incinerator and started firing at every one of the Enclave units in the courtyard, until he took an energy round to the chest, causing him to fall as he pulled out his sidearms, emptying his magazines as the energy round burned into his chest.

He was walking back into the building when Lyons and Ashley walked out with his gear. "Get your stuff on. No time for full recovery sorry." Lyons commanded as she handed over his armor. "I got your weapons repaired here." Ashley told him she put a duffle bag down.

A few minutes later Delta was at the front gate assisting in the fight taking shots left and right. None of them did significant damage to Delta. The overly reinforced armor was amazing him, even his previous power armor hadn't had this much protection. He was dropping Enclave like bloat flies, one shot one kill. All the recruits and BoS Paladins were in awe at his accuracy. The Enclave had begun to retreat when the crane above boomed to life, creaking as it's hook swayed something outside the walls. A large hundred foot tall robot, on it's back were the words 'Liberty Prime' as well as way larger versions of the mini nukes that Delta had become accustomed to seeing. "Democracy always wins." The loudspeakers on the robot boomed, Delta began following as Prime walked to the over pass of the Potomac. Multiple Enclave soldiers were shooting Prime with no effect, and Prime ended them with a bang. Those explosives he was carrying got thrown like footballs by prime, giant explosive footballs. Delta had to duck to avoid all the body parts flying, when he stood back up he saw part of the bridge blown into the water below. Prime continued on without stopping Delta and the rest of the Brotherhood took down the enclave.

The trek to the purifier was shorter than if they'd gone without prime. Halfway through when they had a break Delta turned his radio to GNR "HELLOOO capital wasteland. It is I Three dog, the jockey of discs and teller of truths. Now here's a bit of news, The wastelands favorite group, I'm gonna call them the 'Wasteland Purifiers', has made a ton of progress, but it seems that one of their own has been wounded severely. That's right Delta, that Giant Steel Man, was injured by a 'Super Death-claw' as my sources call it. The poor man lost his arm to the thing, but not to worry the super soldier has got a new reason to be called steel, er metal. That's right he's got a mechanical arm from rivet cities own science team! Now that's not all they've been spotted at the Jefferson Memorial, the site that's James told me was the location of some 'Project Purity' which was overrun by those Devil headed Storm troopers called the Enclave. Now I don't know about you but I hope to hell that they made it out alive. That's all the news kiddies now some special reports from one of my BoS guardians. 'There's a counter offensive taking placing on the Purifier, I repeat the Brotherhood is retaking the Purifier. They are assisted by the Brotherhoods secret weapon, Liberty Prime. That is all.' Well you heard it here first folks, we might just be getting purified water in the entire wasteland. Thanks for listening children, and now some music." Delta shut his radio off and continued on with walking.

They were almost at the purifier when the Enclave attacked in full force. Two vertibirds and seventy ground troops. This was no challenge for Liberty, who threw another bomb killing the ground forces immediately, and he fired at vertibirds with his blue extremely powerful tri-beam lasers that came from his eye. They got inside the memorial and began retaking it. Twenty BoS troops versus fourty Enclave that were holding the memorial, despite the two to one numbers the brotherhood had a quick victory. They got into the rotunda and Ashley, Delta and another large Knight went for the door handle. It was harder than any door they'd opened before but with the three of them they managed to open it and the raidiation that was inside was gone, they were free to walk around as they pleased.

[Thirty miles to the north.] Drew, Abby and two brotherhood Paladins, were traveling to vault 87. They were standing outside of Little Lamplight and were walking inside. Drew pulled out his shotgun just to be safe. Abby was behind him with her rifle. When she got to the gate and the group was stopped. She looked up and saw a child holding an assault rifle. "Back off mungos, you're not allowed down here." The child replied, "Let us in you little shit!" Drew replied pointing his shotgun at the kid, when Abby stepped in front of him. "Please, we need to get to vault 87 and we can't get into the front. May we please enter?" She said having an effect on the boy, he opened the gate and led them to the back entrance. Alright mungos, this is it." The boy said, "Thank you. We appreciate it." Abby told him as they walked to the entrance. Drew had been pissed since the death of his father and seemed to be losing his sanity. "Drew you need to calm down. One of these days you're going to end up getting shot. We may not be able to save you." She said, receiving a look that told her he didn't care. "If I die it would be good for me because I'd be reunited with my father." He said trying to fight back the tears of the memory. "Your father would want you to live your life as long as possible. You have to remember that. Look at Delta, he lost his entire family right in front of him and he's still going strong." She said, "Yea, well he has Ashley to keep him from going insane." Drew said, "If you make your move on Lyons, than you'd have someone." Abby replied. "Shut up."

Drew spotted a mutant and took two shots and killed it. They continued to make they're way into the the depths of the vault and through the mutants when they got to the holding cells, to them it seemed like this was where the mutants were coming from. "You, human. Please let me out of here." A mutant said, "I know why you're here, the G.E.C.K I can help you because I know where it is. It is bathed in radiation and I can get through it." He continued, "Alright let me help you. This terminal opens the door, and... Got it!" Abby said, unlocking the door. "Thank you, follow me." The mutant told them, as he ran down a hallway. This mutant actually didn't want to kill them, he was leading them and the steel 'friends' to their goal, the G.E.C.K. The mutant seemed friendly and was even attacking the other 'green giants' on the way. "How far is this thing." Drew asked between breaths, "Through here. Oh my name is Fawkes, sorry about the lack of introductions." Fawkes called back, "It's fine, I'm Abby and this is Drew." Abby replied as they turned a corner and entered a medium sized room.

"Stay here, the area with the G.E.C.K is bathed in radiation and you will not survive it. I, however, am resistant to radiation and will assist you in retrieving it, one minute." The mutant told them as he ran through a pile of glowing green liquid and disappeared into corridor. "I don't trust this thing." Drew told her, she only returned a disapproving glance and stared down at her armor. It was riddled with holes and wouldn't survive much longer. "I need new armor." She said as Drew tapped her shoulder and pointed to the door the entered through. Heavy footsteps filled the quiet halls of the vault, and soon two mutants entered and were mowed down by one of the Brotherhood defenders. More were approaching and one of them was wielding a .50 caliber machine gun. The mutant shot one of the BoS defenders and killed her. Hundreds of rounds flew from the minigun and all of them hit the mutants. Abby and Drew were standing on the line between radiation and not as Fawkes returned with the G.E.C.K. "I told you." Abby said "Thank you for releasing me from that prison, my brothers locked me in there when they realized I was different. For years I dreamed of the day I would be given my freedom. I am forever in your debt." Fawkes said as if he were about to begin crying tears of joy. "Why don't you come with us? Travel the wastes with the smell of fresh air and explosives." Drew said trying to convince the eight foot mutant. "I would love to, those sound like wonderful smells." Fawkes replied jokingly.

They were nearing the exit of the vault when they were ambushed by enclave, a bright flash made Abby and Drew temporarily blind as they fell to the floor. The remaining Defender fought by Fawkes' side and the Enclave were losing. Soldier after soldier fell, Fawkes found the commanding officer and tore his head from his body as he ripped. The Enclave turned and ran only to be shot down. "Are you two alright?" Fawkes asked as he helped them up, "Ugh, my eyes. Yes, thank you." Drew responded. They looked to Abby who was on the ground, holding her bleeding stomach. "Shit!" Drew shouted as he picked her up and ran for the exit of the vault. Abby had tears running down her face as she bounced in Drew's arms.

They ran through Little Lamplight, not letting anything stop them. Drew knew exactly where he would go, a small town not to far from the caves called big town. He never stopped not even to check on his other companions, right now his best friend was his top priority.

[Thirty miles south]

"Where did they go again?" Delta asked as he sat and removed his helmet. "Vault 87, they went to find the G.E.C.K." Ashley told him, again, "Well, I sure as hell hope they-" "Sir, we have reports from the team that was sent with your companions, they have lost a defender and the female has sustained wounds to the abdomen, our other defender was trying to keep up when he contacted us." A communications officer told him, Delta threw his helmet back on. "Get me a vertibird." He commanded as the officer saluted and ran out. "Delta, what are you planning?" Ashley asked as she stood and followed Delta out, "A simple retrieval." Was all Delta said as he opened the door and waited for his ride.


End file.
